Bath-cabinet.



PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

J. HBRMA-NN.

BATH CABINET.

' APPLIOATION rum) mm. 29, 1906.

2 sums-51mm" 1.

r": NORRIS PBTIRS co. WASHINGTON. a. c.

No. 850,367. PATENTED APmls, 1907.

J. HERMANN.

BATH CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED M43. 29, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awwMoz' JOHN HERMANN, or SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

BATH-CAB] N E-T.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iratenteu April 16, 1907.

Application filed March 29, 1906. Serial No. 808,734.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN HERMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Saginaw,

in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Bath-Cabinets; and. I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bath-cabinets, and moreparticularly to a sanitary device of this character heated and lightedby electricity and in which sweat baths and light-baths may be taken.

One object of the invention is to provide a bath-cabinet of thischaracter which will be of simple, strong, and durable construction andentirely sanitary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bath-cabinet of thischaracter in which its bottom will be heated.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of thischaracter in which the switches or controlling devices of the variouselectric circuits may be operated from within the cabinet by a persontherein or from without the cabinet by an attendant.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bath-cabinet of thischaracter which will be constructed of plates of glass which areconnected by water-tight joints, so that it will be air and water tightand may be thoroughly washed out and cleaned after it is used.

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify theconstruction and operation of devices of this character and therebyrender the same more convenient and efiicient.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved electric bath-cabinet. view through the same. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal sectional view. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail vertical sectionalviews through the top and bottom of the cabinet. Fig. 6 is a detailhorizontal sectional view showing the watertight joint or connectionbetween the glass plates which form the sides of the cabinet, and Fig. 7is a detail view of one of the Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional switchesor circuit-closing devices which may be operated from either the insideor outside of the cabinet. I,

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes my improvedelectric-bath cabinet, which, as shown, is of prismatic form andconstructed almost entirely of glass, which may be transparent, opaque,or colored. Each of the rectangular sides of the cabinet is composed ofinner and outer glass plates 2 3, which are spaced apart and securedtogether and to the abutting vertical or side edges of the similarplates of the adjacent sides by a water and air tight oint 4. Each ofthe latter comprises a vertically-extending metal tube 5, disposedbetween said glass plates and adapted to serve as conduits forelectric-circuit wires. The glass plates are retained upon this tubularstandard 5 by inbars 7 8, which are secured to the tube by screws or thelike 9, a suitable packing 10 be ing interposed between said parts andthe abutting vertical edges of theglass plates 2 3 l as clearly shown inFig. 6 of the drawings.

The upper ends or edges of the glass plates 2 3 are connected by asurrounding, rim or frame 10, constructed, preferably, of wood andcomprising a sectional lower bar 11, having grooves 12 to receive theglass plates, an outer sectional molding 13, an inner sectional cleat ormolding 14, and a sectional top 15, which latter closes a space 16 inthe frame 10, through which the electric wires or con ductors mayextend. The top 17 of the-cabinet is preferably made of rubber or otherflexible waterproof material and has its surrounding edge secured to thetop portion of the frame 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.This top 17 is formed with an opening 18 to receive the neck of theperson using the cabinet, and also with a slit or joint 19, extendingfrom the said neck-opening to the outer edge of the cabinet adjacent towhere its door 20 is located. Any suitable means may be provided forconnecting the overlapping edges of the slit or joint 19, so that thelatter may be closed after the person has entered the cabinet throughthe door 20. This door 20 is formed by one of the sides of the cabinetand is hingedly mounted upon one of the adjacent sides, as shown at 21.The inner and outer glass plates of the door are united by bolts or thelike 22 tothe inwardly-extending flanges of a surrounding channel metalframe or beam 23, as clearly ner and outer vertically-extendingclamping-- IIO tubes 5 and carrying rubber rollers 30.

of the inner glass plates 2 of the sides rest upon angle metal brackets24, secured upon the lower portions of the tubular standards or uprights5 and are also adapted to support a horizontal plate or slab of glass,marble, or the like 25,which forms the floor or real bottom of thecabinet, and it is spaced above a false bottom 26, constructed,preferably, of wood. The lower ends of the tubular uprights 5 aresecured in this bottom 26, and the lower or bottom edges of the outerglass plates 3 rest upon it, as shown at 27 in Fig. 5. The cabinet ispreferably mounted upon casters 28, which have their forked or' yokedframe 29 swiveled in the lower ends of the At suitable points in thebottom 26 are formed openings 31, which are closed by doors 32, slidablymounted in guides 33 upon the under face of said bottom.

The cabinet is preferably heated by incandescent electric lamps 35,mounted in waterproof fixtures 36, arranged in vertical rows upon theinner clamping-strips 7. Any kind and number of lights may be provided,and they may be of any color to give differentcolored light-baths forthe treatment of certain diseases. They are, however, preferablyarranged in vertical rows within the cabinet, as shown, and each row iscontrolled by a separate switch or circuit-closing device 37. The latterare arranged at a suitable point in the surrounding top frame 10of thecabinet and may be of any desired form and construction, so that theymay be operated either from within the cabinet by the occupant thereofor from without the cabinet by an attendant. One of these devices isclearly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings and consists of a slidablemember or element 38, carrying acontact-plate 39, which is adapted to bemoved into and 'out of engagement with a similar contact-plate 40,suitably mounted upon a block of insulation and connected to one of theterminals of an electric circuit, the other terminal of said circuitbeing connected to a plate 41, which the sliding element 38 is always incontact with. The upper end of the sliding bar or element 38 projectsoutside of the cabinet, and its lower end projects within the cabinet,so that it may be oper ated as stated. All of the circuits controlled bythese switches unite and pass through a rheostat or dimmer 42, suitablymounted within the cabinet, so that the occupant thereof may regulatethe heat therein by brightening or dimming the lights.

In order to heat the bottom or floor 25 of the-cabinet so that theoccupants feet will be kept warm, I provide in the space between saidbottom and the bottom 26 a plurality of electric lamps 43, the circuitthrough which is also eontrolled by one of the switches 37.

One of these lights 43 is mounted in a suitable base or socket over eachof the openings 31 in the bottom 26, so that when its sliding door 32 isremoved the lamp 43 may be applied to or removed from its socket orotherwise repaired or adjusted.

The construction, use, and advantages of the invention will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings. After the person has stepped into the cabinetthrough the door 20 and is seated upon an adjustable stool placed uponthe floor 25 said door is closed, and the joint'19 is secured, so thatonly the head of the person is without the cabinet. The lights may thenbe turned on or regulated by means of the switches 37 and the rheostat42 either by the occupant himself or by an attendant, who, owing to thetransparent walls of the cabinet, may readily see the person within.After the bath has been taken the interior of the cabinet may bethoroughly washed and cleaned to remove all germs therefrom by turningon a hose within the same. Owing to the waterproof joints between theinner walls of the sides of the cabinet and the waterproof mounting ofthe electric lights no part of the cabinet will be injured by a thoroughwashing of this character.

It will be noted that various kinds of baths may be taken within thecabinet.

Various changes in the form, proportion,-

and the minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and, desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cabinet of the class described, having its side wall made insections disposed angularly with reference to one another, each sectioncomprising an inner plate and an outer plate spaced therefrom, tubularbars in the angles between the sections and between the inner and outerplates, clamping-bars on the inner sides of the inner plates, in theangles formed at the joints thereof, screws securing said clamping-barsto the tubular bars, clamping-bars on the outer sides of the outerplates, on the joints thereof, and screws securing the last-mentionedclamping-bars to the tubular bars; substantially as described.

2. A cabinet of the class described, having an inner plate and an outerplate spaced therefrom, said plates having alining-openyings, aconducting element slidable in the said openings, having its endsprojecting beyond the outer sides of said plates and provided withopenings, said slidable element also having a contact device projectingtherefrom at a point near the inner plate,a contact-plate secured to theouter plate and in permanent contact with the slidable element,

and a contact device mounted on the inner plate for engagement by thecontact deviceof the slidable element when the latter is in oneposition. I A joint for the sides of cabinets of the characterdescribed, comprising inner and outer spaced plates, an upright betweensaid plates, inner and outer clamping-bars, fastening means for securingsaid bars to said up right, and packing means between said plates saidbars and said upright.

4. A joint for the sides of cabinets 0f the character described,comprising inner and outer spaced plates, a tubular upright between saidspaced plates, inner and outer clamping-bars, packing between theabutting ends of said plates and said upright, and fastening-screwspassed through said clampingbars and into said upright, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Wit nesses.

JOHN HERMANN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. FANsENn, 'JNo. J. QUINN.

